


A Comfortable Lie

by EssayOfThoughts



Series: MCU Maximoff Oneshots [153]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Apologies, Character Study, Codependency, Consequences, Gen, Tony Stark has said some pretty dickish things, Trauma, because yeah flippancy is his thing?, but also: DICK MOVE
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 13:49:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13859046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EssayOfThoughts/pseuds/EssayOfThoughts
Summary: "This was never my life."His flippancy is: a defensive measure, an offensive measure, a bad habit. It is: something he can't quite keep himself from.





	A Comfortable Lie

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RedSummerRose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedSummerRose/gifts).



> Written for a prompt over on my tumblr, readable [Here](http://essayofthoughts.tumblr.com/post/171491942005/wanda-and-pietro-have-a-talk-with-tony-about-their). Some lines are direct quotes from the films. This was typed up while I was listening to [_The Devil_ by Blue Stahli](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj6pL1mJUIU).

_"This was never my life."_

A flippant response, an accidental lie.

Such a simple,  _stupid_ thing to say.

 

* * *

 

"Do you ever think?" Wanda asks him. "At all?"

She turns, leaves, her brother's hand held tight in hers.

 

* * *

 

_"Comfortable. Like old times."_

Not... not exactly. But he had sold weapons and hadn't cared to whom. Had cozied up to investors of unfortunate inclinations, and not cared about the consequences of their inevitable, certain violence. To America, yes, he was a patriot of course, but to allies as well, shipping his goods to people halfway around the world with CIA verification who would, three years later, be relabelled terrorists.

He hadn't cared. Had simply  _done._

 

* * *

 

"Your bomb," Wanda tells him when he asks. She glances to her brother, waits for his nod. "Stark tech. It killed our parents. Then the other-"

"It waited," Pietro says, "Two days. The light flickering on-off-on-off." He's not looking at Stark, is focussed only on his sister. "Two days, every shift in the bricks-"

"We waited to die," Wanda tells him. "We were ten."

 

* * *

 

_"Merchant of Death."_

He thinks of Yinsen. Thinks of "We call them the walking dead because it takes about a week for the barbs to reach the vital organs."

He wonders if that stain will ever be wiped away.

 

* * *

 

"I didn't- That's not-"

"What you meant?" Wanda Maximoff's face is neither angry nor calm, just tired. "Stop," she says. "Just  _stop._ Say what you mean," she says, "Or say nothing at all."

 

* * *

 

_"I’ve successfully privatised world peace."_

Except... he hadn't. He  _couldn't._   World peace didn't exist, never would, never could. Ultron had been the most monumental cock up of the century, but even before that...

He claimed peace and was attacked. He claimed peace, but America's army fought unjust, unfair wars.

He claimed peace, had meant to sell only to "the good guys", but weapons had slipped through his loose grasp and into Obie's and Obie had sold them where he willed. He claimed peace, had meant to sell only to those who could be trusted, but who could? Who truly was good, who truly could be trusted with that power? Even his own hands were dirty.

 

* * *

 

"I have bad habits," he tells Wanda. "Flippancy is one of them. It used to be that if I made a flippant comment, Dad might pay attention, if only to scold. Then, it became a habit."

Wanda eyes him, sips her beer. "Bad habit," she says, swallowing. "Bad reason. Like our vengeance."

He sighs. "Yeah," he says. "It is." He holds out an awkward hand. "I want to apologise," he says. "I'm an arrogant prick, but some of my comments crossed the line."

Wanda eyes him again, scarlet swirling in her irises for a bare moment. "Which comments?" she asks. "Which ones are you apologising for?"

 

* * *

 

_"Comfortable, like old times."_

_"This was never my life."_

_"I’ve successfully privatised world peace."_

_"And what do you say to your other nickname? 'The Merchant of Death'?"_

_"That's not bad."_

 

* * *

 

"All of them," he says. "To you, and to everyone else."

Wanda's lips curl into a slow smile, her beer is passed to her brother's haven hands. "In that case," she says, and reaches out, takes his hand in her own. "Your apology is accepted. And we apologise for trying to see you dead."

Behind her, Pietro's frown tells him he has not been wholly forgiven. He doubts he ever will be.

 

* * *

 

His flippancy is: a defensive measure, an offensive measure, a bad habit. It is: something he can't quite keep himself from.

 

* * *

 

"Cool excuse," Pietro tells him. "Still shitty."

 

* * *

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments!


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